Videos Show Lake Flies Swarming in Wisconsin

A number of media outlets have reported huge swarms of lake flies on Wisconsin’s Lake Winnebago.

Cynthia Mueller, a naturalist at High Cliff State Park, told USA Today that she hasn’t seen these kinds of numbers in years. This video, which shows an incredibly large number of flies above and around the water, seems to support her claim:

“Visitors to the park who have never experienced a lake fly hatch are often overwhelmed at what they see,” Mueller said. “The sheer number and loud humming is like something out of a Hitchcock movie.”

Fortunately, these flies in the genus Chironomus are harmless to people, even though some may consider them to be a nuisance.

“The lake fly does not have the capability to sting or bite,” Mueller said. “They are harmless and only live for a short time, just enough time to reproduce.”